Rat-guard



e. 1. HART.

RAT GUARD.

* APPLICATION FILED NOV- 11, 1920. 1,376,202, Patented Apr. 26, 1921,

IN VEN TOR G/LEEETJ M4427? entree, stares GILBERT JOSEPH HART, OF NEW HAVEN, CO1\TNECTICUT.

RAT-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 26, 1921..

Application filed November 11, 1920. Serial No. 423,450;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I GILBERT J. Ham, a citizen of the United states, and a resldent of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Rat-Guard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in rat guards, particularly to that form of device commonly employed to prevent rats from crawling aboard vessels via the mooring lines, an object of the invention belng to provide an improved rat guard which may be readily positioned upon a shlps hawserv and readily removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide a device of the character stated which will be simple and practical in construction, strong and durable in use, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and one which w ll automatically maintain its upright position on the hawser.

With these and other objects in v1ew the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be morefully hereinafter described and pointed out 1n the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a view in front elevation of my improved rat guard. I

Fig. 2 is a view inside elevation thereof.

1 represents a metal plate which Is provided with a finger receiving opening at its upper end to permit the ready handling thereof. The plate is slightly elongated and preferably formed with curved ends. The lower end of the plate is weighted by riveting or otherwise fastening a heavy piece of metal 3 thereto. The weight 3 is shaped in conformity with the lower end of the plate.

The plate 1 is formed with a curved rope receiving slot or recess 4 which extends from the lower portion of one side of the plate inwardly and upwardly and its inner end is curved to conform to the shape of a hawser 5.

A longitudinal strengthening or reinforcing strip 6 is riveted t0 the face of the plate pin 8. This keeper from the hawser.

which receives the weight 3. On the other face of the plate a keeper 7 is pivotally mounted adjacent one of its corners on a 7 swings across the face of the plate 1 covering the slot 4 and is provided with a curved recess 9 coacting with the curved inner end of the slot to encircle the hawser 5.

The keeper is also provided with'a weighted arm 10 which maintains the keeper in the position illustrated engaging the hawser. Astop 11 in the form of an angle bracket is fixed to the face of the plate above the keeper and serves to limit the movement of the same when the rat guard is removed A pin depending from the stop engages the hawser and prevents longitudinal movement of the plate on the hawser.

In placing the rat guard on a hawser the keeper 7 is swung to one side and the plate is passed downwardly with the recess 4 re ceiving the hawser. As soon as the curved inner end of the recess Lengages the hawser, the keeper 7 is released and the weight of the arm 10 swings the keeper into the locking position illustrated.

The weight 3 will at all times retain the rat guard in upright position on the hawser, thus effectively preventing rodents from crawling up the'lines and on board a ship which is tied to the dock.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character stated, comprising a plate, a weight secured to one face of the plate adjacent its lower edge, a keeper pivoted to the other face of the plate, said plate having a rope receiving recess therein, and a weighted arm on the keeper maintaining the keeper in position to coact with the walls of said recess in encircling the rope.

2. A device of the character stated, comprising a plate, a weight secured to one face of the plate adjacent its lower edge, a keeper pivoted to the other face of the plate, said plate having a rope receiving recess therein, and a Weighted arm on the keeper maintaining the keeper in positionto' eoact With the walls of said'recess in encircling the rope,

an angle bracket 'fiXed to the plate above the lower end of the ropereeeiving recess a pin depending from the angle bracket and engageable with the rope to prevent movement of the plate longitudinally of the rope.

GILBERT JOSEPH HART. 

